This invention relates generally to the treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated mediums, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for removing hydrocarbons from a contaminated airstream by chemical interaction with a reagent such as hydrogen peroxide and/or ozone in the presence of ultraviolet light.
The use of hydrogen peroxide and/or ozone in the presence of an ultraviolet light source to chemically decontaminate and remove hydrocarbon constituents from a contaminated water stream is well known. The following devices are known to applicant to accomplish this purpose:
______________________________________ Wiest 4,156,652 Coviello 4,179,616 Zeff 4,792,407 Zeff 4,849,114 Peterson 4,897,246 Peterson 4,952,376 Hager 5,037,618 ______________________________________
Applicant is also aware of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,317 to Lindwall which is directed to a device for chlorinating saturated hydrocarbons in an aqueous medium, aided by exposure to a reaction-initiating light.
Zeff in U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,207 also discloses an apparatus for decomposition of volatile organic halogenated compounds contained within an airstream by passing that airstream through a porous bed of silica gel and thereafter irradiating the stream of gas with ultraviolet light.
A method and apparatus for soil remediation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,508 to Hansen et al. which teaches decontaminating soil containing hydrocarbons by first mixing the soil with water and a surfactant to form a slurry which is then screened and reacted with ozone and ultraviolet radiation.
The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for removing hydrocarbon constituents from an airstream within a chamber by introducing into the airstream an atomized vapor of air pressurized hydrogen peroxide and/or ozone in the presence of an ultraviolet light source.